This invention relates to a shock absorbing liner to be worn inside a baseball shoe. More particularly, the invention relates to a shoe liner which may be attached to the inside of a baseball shoe for protecting the toe and upper portion of the foot without significantly restricting the normal movement of the foot. Further, the invention relates to a shock absorbing liner comprising a plurality of rigid protective shell members joined by bendable elements so as to allow it to flex with the baseball shoe as it bends.
Many baseball players injure their front batting foot when a foul tipped ball or a wild pitch strikes their foot. Accordingly, various references uncovered in the prior art provide devices that are adapted to fit over the forward part of a baseball shoe to protect the wearer's foot from foul tipped balls are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,493 to Mues discloses a two piece protective cover attachable to the shoe of a baseball player to protect the foot from foul tipped balls, wherein a lower piece is secured to the toe of a conventional baseball shoe, and an upper piece is detachably held to the lower piece in a raised position above the top of the shoe. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,055 to Herman discloses a baseball shoe safety protector comprising a hollow member made of flexible plastic material which is adapted to fit over the forward part of a baseball shoe, wherein the hollow member is provided with inturned portions for engaging with the sole of the shoe and a resilient stretchable web for engaging spikes on the bottom of the shoe.
Most of these prior art devices must be worn over the baseball shoe. These devices often employ a one-piece protective structure that is relatively rigid and sufficiently large to cover the entire upper area of the foot. Wearing such a protective structure outside the shoe is undesirable not only because it can rip and tear the outside of the shoe but also because it can hinder quick movements of the athlete. For instance, in the protective cover disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,493 to Mues, the upper piece which is attached to the top of the baseball shoe during baseball swing, must be manually detached from the shoe by the wearer just prior to base running. Therefore, there is still a further need to provide an improved shock absorbing liner for a baseball shoe. Such a shock absorbing liner should afford the necessary protection to the wearer's foot when worn inside a baseball shoe so as to minimize the danger of injury precipitated by foul tipped balls. Moreover, such a shock absorbing liner should utilize a plurality of rigid protective shell members joined by bendable elements so as to allow the shock absorbing liner freedom to flex along with the wearer's foot while still effectively shielding the foot against external impact forces.
While these units mentioned above may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.